Christmas Healing
by penelo14
Summary: Dean Ambrose is slowly healing from the death of his girlfriend and invites his friends to help him decorate for the holidays. AJ Styles is happy he's getting better and is excited to help. But...is he truly okay?


Got the idea from my friend ringaroundtherollins. She wrote a Christmas oneshot and suggested I do the same. Got the idea from a small dream and from decorating Nana's house for Christmas and boom!

To nyelator, your request is next on the list. Be on the lookout for that:)

* * *

" _Chestnuts roasting on an open fire  
Jack Frost nipping at your nose"_

AJ smiled, humming to the song as he drove to Dean's house. He was going to stay over for the weekend, something he was really looking forward to. He always did.

He started doing this about a month ago, to help Dean cope with the death of his late girlfriend Renee Young. She died in a car crash sometime before Halloween. She and her friend Lana were driving back after a girl's night out when a drunk driver ran a stop sign and hit them. Renee died on impact while Lana suffered recoverable injuries.

Dean was devastated after he got the call; hysterically crying, and blaming himself for her death for days. He didn't even want to celebrate Thanksgiving, but AJ and their other friends surprised him by coming over with food and celebrated the day with him.

AJ was happy to hear Dean was going to celebrate Christmas, spending it with Renee's family. He sent a group text to all their friends on Black Friday, asking for help decorating his house the upcoming Sunday. Renee had a bunch of decorations and he needed help figuring out what goes where.

Maybe AJ can put together something for Christmas Eve with their friends.

Was a thought.

He pulled up to the house, which was a small two-level home, noticing he was the first to arrive. He shut the car off, grabbed his duffel and knocked on the front door. He smiled upon seeing Dean's bright face.

"Hey!" Dean greeted, stepping aside for AJ to enter the house.

"Hey yourself. All set for today?"

Dean nods as he closes the door. "I already cleaned up the main area so it's just a matter of bringing everything from the basement and putting them up."

AJ walks with Dean into the house, seeing a large pan on the kitchen countertop.

"What's that for?"

"Figured it'd be easier if I cooked for everyone instead of ordering something."

"What are you cooking?"

"Lasagna, got chicken tenders breaded in the fridge and a salad bag as well."

"Going all out huh?" AJ smiled.

"Well…was in the mood."

"Sure." AJ laughed, "I'll put my bag upstairs then starting carrying things up."

"Okay."

AJ nods as he heads upstairs towards the guest room. He sets the bag on the bed then quickly leaves to join Dean in the basement.

What he saw was a ton of boxes and totes, all labeled 'Christmas Décor'

"…Everything goes up?" AJ asks

"…I guess. I mean, I'm not too sure what's in all of them."

"One's the tree." AJ said, pointing to a long white box with plastic handles. There were images of a tree on two sides of said box. "Thought you guys get a real one."

"She preferred fake. Was less of a hassle and you get to keep it. Where a real tree you have to water it constantly and then throw it away once Christmas ends."

"Point there." AJ laughs.

AJ wanted to ask him how he was doing, but Dean seemed so cheerful he didn't want to break the mood.

They carried boxes up, pausing when the doorbell would go off and other people would arrive.

By the time the boxes and totes were all accounted for, all the friends were there: Natalya and her husband Cesaro, Summer Rae and her boyfriend Dolph Ziggler, Becky Lynch, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, Sami Zayn, R-Truth, Nikki Bella and James Ellsworth (who AJ did not like a whole lot admittedly).

Brie and Daniel could not make it due to something coming up, not saying what it was exactly. Nikki guessed it was something with the baby since the due date was approaching quickly.

"Where's John?" Nattie asked as they all opened some of the boxes.

"He's being a poop." Nikki answered, finding some white garland in one of the totes.

Dean laughed. He and John Cena, Nikki's boyfriend, never quite got along to be considered friends. They only got to a point to just tolerate each other. Dean's not surprised he didn't show.

"His loss then." AJ laughed. "Just hope he doesn't expect you to bring food home to him."

"Food?" Summer asked, confused as she searched the channels for the Christmas music one.

"You think I'd work ya without feeding ya?" Dean laughed. "I'm making lasagna, chicken tenders and a salad. Figure it's be easier and cheaper than ordering food and waiting."

"Sounds great!" Nattie cheered.

Everyone started pulling things out and putting them somewhere they think it would look nice while Dean continued his cooking. Occasionally, people would come in and ask an opinion or if he wants something up.

One point, Karl finds a snowman that plays music. He goes to Dean and shows it to him.

"Really?" he smirked, raising an eyebrow.

"She loved those Hallmark snowmen." Dean laughed. "She made it a mission to collect as many as she can."

"She's got a lot!" Luke called from the living room, surrounded by at least ten musical snowmen.

"They usually covered the coffee table." Dean noted. "If it helps where they go."

Karl laughs as he and Luke started arranging all the snowmen, occasionally pressing the buttons to play them in amusement.

James was digging through the tote that Nikki found the garland for some lights. He instead found a picture of Dean and Renee in front of their tree last year.

"What did you find James?" Becky asked.

James jumped in fright, causing Becky to giggle. "A-A picture." He stammered.

"Of what?"

James sighed sadly, showing the picture to her.

She then frowned, "Would he want it up?"

"Should I ask him?"

"I mean, would it do more harm than good? He's recovering so well."

"But, would it be an insult to not put it up?"

"What are ya'll dogs debating about?" Truth asked as he approached the two.

James showed him the picture, to which Truth did not seem deterred. He took the picture from James' hands and rushed towards the kitchen, with an uneasy James and worried Becky following.

"Yo Deano?" Truth called from the kitchen entryway.

"Yeah man?" Dean asked as he flipped the tenders in the pan.

"Want this up?" He held up the picture in question. James and Becky just arrived at the entryway, both scared and worried.

Dean looked at the picture and frowned. He remembers a lot about the picture: she was driving herself crazy trying to get them Christmasy outfits and wanted the tree to look amazing. He would just chuckle at her and go along with her over the top plans, making a note that it doesn't have to be perfect.

But it was, it was a perfect picture.

"Can you watch the chicken for a quick second?" Dean asked as he took the pic from Truth's hand and walked over to Nikki, who was decorating the mantle.

"Hey Nik?"

"Yes?"

"…Can you…find a place on there…for this?"

Nikki took the picture, smiling, "I'll see what I can do."

* * *

Once most of the decorations were up and the food fresh out of the oven, it was time for a lunch break. Everyone was able to fit in the dining room and quickly chowed down. AJ looked over at Dean, loving how happy he seemed. He joked and laughed without a care in the world, like nothing was hurting him inside. He was so happy he was enjoying himself.

Dean and Nattie cleaned up as everyone else continued decorating. All that was left was decorating the tree. AJ, Dolph and Sami got it put together and up before lunch.

"How many strands do we have?" Cesaro asks.

"Um…four?" James questions as he double counts the strands he's found. "Yeah, there's four."

"Let's test them." Dolph suggested. He then took one of the strands and plugged it in.

As Dolph was testing the lights, Summer grabbed two of the chairs and placed them near the tree. She then stood on top of one and Sami took the other and waited for one of the strands.

"We starting from the top and working down?" Summer asks.

"Wouldn't it be easier to start from the bottom and work up?" Becky noted.

"I say start from the top." AJ announced. "It'll be easier if plug a fourth should we need one if it's at the bottom."

"Point." Sami laughed. He and Summer started rounding the lights around the tree as Dolph handed them the strands. They all lit up, thank God.

"There's a dark spot there." James says, pointing at a big dark area near the center.

Becky and Nikki tried getting the lights to cover up as much of the dark spaces as they could the more James and Cesaro spotted.

"Wait, shouldn't you be up here?" Summer laughed, motioning towards Cesaro. "You are the tallest out of all of us."

"He's got a better eye for this." AJ countered. "Besides, we're about done with the top anyway."

"We still gotta get the star up."

"Star?"

"This?" James pulled out a silver star tree topper from one of the totes.

"Yeah." Summer gleamed.

"I'll handle the star if you want." Cesaro chuckled, taking the star and walking over to put it up. Even though he's the tallest, he couldn't quite reach the top.

"You guys do know it's a seven-foot tree, right?" Dean chuckled from the kitchen as he and Nattie got done.

Summer blushed in embarrassment as Cesaro handed her the star.

"Don't worry about it." Cesaro assured. "I wasn't sure either if it helps."

She nods, placing the star at the top once all the lights were placed.

Nikki tilts her head as she looks at it.

"Something up?"

"It doesn't look straight." she replied sadly. "It's facing the right too much. Move it to your left a little bit."

Summer did so, but then Nattie noticed something.

"It was straight before Nik. It should be facing the entrance way."

"No, it should be straight when you're right in front of it."

Everyone else bursted out in laughter as the two ladies continued to drive Summer crazy, having her constantly turning the star.

"Guys wait," Cesaro called as he turned to Dean, "Dean, this is your house. How would you like the star to be faced? How Natalya wanted it towards the front door or Nikki's by having it generally be straight with the tree?"

Dean pondered for a short while, figuring his answer when the women were arguing.

"I like it when you're coming in and having it look at you."

"Then that's where it stays." Cesaro commands. "Now, let's get some ornaments on it."

* * *

It was now close to ten at night and Dean's sitting in the living room, sipping on some caramel hot chocolate as he admired the setting. He liked how the room looked, how everything just…fit together. They did an amazing job, it looked like how Renee would have decorated it.

They finished everything around four in the afternoon and everyone headed on home. He thanked all of them for coming over and helping him, to which they replied that it wasn't a problem and they all had a lot of fun.

Dean sighed contently as he heard footsteps descending the staircase.

"Not tired?" he called to AJ.

"Not yet." AJ replied with a laugh. "Not tired yourself?"

"…Couldn't sleep."

AJ fixed himself some tea and sat with Dean on the couch. "Happy with how it looks?"

"Yeah, I love it. Thanks so much."

"No worries." AJ smiles, taking a sip. "It came out really nice."

"Yeah…"

AJ noticed the picture of Dean and Renee on the mantle, "Surprised you put up the picture."

"Well…it wouldn't feel right if I didn't." Dean mumbled. "Besides, having it up…makes it feel like she's here you know?"

AJ smiles, "I'm sure she's happy with everything too."

Dean nods, sipping his drink.

They sat in comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts. AJ started thinking about how to organize Christmas Eve with their friends. Maybe they can do a Chinese Pollyanna? That could work.

He was interrupted when Dean set his now empty cup on the end table and started quietly mumbling.

"I…always told her 'be safe' whenever she left." he started.

AJ listened intently, concerned about Dean.

"Whenever she left for a girl's night or anywhere without me, I always told her to be safe. That night, I passed out on the couch. I didn't see her leave…"

AJ could see the tears starting and set his own cup down before pulling Dean close to him.

"It's my fault!" Dean cried. "If I wasn't asleep..."

"Shhh, it's alright Dean. It's not your fault." AJ tried to reassure.

"But the one time I didn't tell her she died!"

AJ held onto him tightly as Dean sobbed uncontrollably. His heart broke hearing him cry, seeing him so upset and blaming himself for something he didn't do.

He decided to try something, probably won't work, but worth a shot.

" _Chestnuts roasting on an open fire  
Jack Frost nipping at your nose  
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir  
And folks dressed up like Eskimos"_

He continued to sing the song, noticing Dean calming down slightly. It felt weird doing this, but it seemed to be working in making Dean feel better.

Once the song was finished, Dean was fast asleep.

AJ held Dean close as he looked at the photo on the mantle. The pain was still there, but he'll show Dean that it's all going to be okay.

"I promise you Renee." he whispered. "We'll do whatever it takes to heal him."

He looks down at Dean,

"Whatever it takes.."


End file.
